Locking turnbuckle



Patented Mar. 31, 1942 UNITED STATES PAT-EN T oFFicE LOCKING TURNBUCKIJE Hilbert K. Kath, Rochester, Minn.

Application May'll), 1941, Serial N0. 3 92,984 7 3 Claims.

This invention relates to locking turnbuckles, and its general object is to providea'turnbuckle which together with the rods or stems coupled thereby are normally held locked together againstany-possibility of casual rotation or ad- "justmentrelative to each other, but can'be easily and expeditiously released or unlocked, "to allow manual adjustment in the usual manner, or in other words by rotating the turnbuckle on "the rods or stems.

'A further object is to provide a turnbuckle including-locking means for the purpose set forth, that is simple in construction, inexpensive to "manufacture, and *extremely efficient in operation, use-and service.

This invention alsoconsists in certain other 'features of construction'andin the combination andarrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter'fully described, illustrated inthe' accompanying drawing and specificallypointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference willbe had to the' accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughoutthe'several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a'fragmentary side elevation of one form of my locking turnbuckle.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken therethrough, with the stems in elevation.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. I

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken through a modified form of locking means.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of another modified form of locking means.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a tool for moving the locking means to unlocked position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and particularly to the form of Figures 1 to 3, it will be noted that I have illustrated a turnbuckle of the type that includes a body in the form of a sleeve l which is interiorly threaded for a portion of its length from its ends to threadedly receive stems the sleeve, and *for that purpose right hand threads are provided at one end of the turnbuckle and left hand-threads at the o'pposite 'end thereof.

also of substantially conical shape to fittingly receive the heads, as clearly shown inFigure Extendinglongitudinally of the sleeve substantially centrally between'the outer ends thereof and the flat faced wrench receiving portion} are pairs of registering slots1-'ofthe "bayonet type, in that the inner ends of the slots *are offset as at 8, and "the locking members 6"have pins 9 secured to and extending transv'erseh therethrough with the outer ends of the pins mounted for slidable movementin'theslots, to

allow free sli'dingmovement of the lockingm-em- 'bers but preventing rotation thereof, 'as will be with the latter mounted in the sockets and of course with the ribs 5 in the grooves, so that the stems and sleeve are locked together to prevent rotation thereof relative to each other, and for that purpose the locking members are spring pressed, there being a spring III for each member 6, and the springs have one of their ends bearing against the members 6, while their opposite ends bear against abutment blocks II which are pinned to the sleeve substantially centrally thereof and upon opposite sides of registering openings l2 disposed through the flat faced portion 3 for receiving a rod or the like that can be used in place of a wrench for rotating the sleeve.

In the modified form of Figure 4, the head I3 on the inner end of the stem is of hexagon shape to fit within a like shape socket in the locking member I4, and while the head l3 and the socket of the locking member I4 are of the shape shown,

' they can be of octagon or any other shape to prevent rotation of the stem and sleeve relative to each other.

In Figure 5, the head 15 is in the form of a rectangular lug extending transversely of the inner end of the stem I6, and the head I5 is received in a rectangular recess or socket I 1 extending throughout the diameter of a cylindrical locking member l8.

In Figure 6 I have illustrated a tool of the spanner wrench type and which includes a handle I 9 having jaws 20 formed thereon, the jaws being provided with relatively wide flat parallel outer end portions, with slots 2| extending inwardly from one of the side edges thereof, to receive the extending ends of the pins 9, to move the locking members against the action of the spring ID to unlocked position, and the locking members are held accordingly by disposing the pins 9 in the offset portions 8 of the slots 1, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 1. When the locking members are in unlocked position, it will be obvious that the sleeve can be freely rotated on the stems to bring about adjustment thereof and when the desired adjusted position is reached, the pins 9 are moved out of the offset portions 8 for the springs to return the locking members to their locked position, as best shown in Figure 2.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

, What I claim is:

1. In a locking trunbuckle, a threaded body,

headed means threaded in the body for the latter provided with grooves, spring pressed means slidably mounted in the body and having a substantially conical socket therein for receiving the head, ribs on the head and fitting the grooves to lock the spring pressed means to the head, said spring pressed means being normally. urged to locked position, said body having slots therein provided withoffset portions, means secured to and extending laterally from the-spring pressed means and through the slots to hold the spring pressed means against rotation, and said laterally extending means being receivable in the offset portions for holding the spring pressed means in unlocked position to allow rotation of the body to bring about adjustment of the headed means.

2. In a locking turnbuckle, an interiorly threaded sleeve, a headed stem threaded in the sleeve for the latter to provide a coupling therefor, and the head of said stem being disposed within the sleeve, said head being a rectangular lug extending diametrically of the stem, spring pressed cylindrical means slidably mounted in the sleeve and having a rectangular recess extending diametrically thereof for fitting and receiving the head to lock the spring pressed means thereto, said spring pressed means being normally urged to locked position, said sleeve having slots therein provided with oifset portions, means secured to and extending laterally from the spring pressed means and through the slots to hold the spring pressed means against rotation, and said laterally extending means being receivable in the oifset portions for holding the spring pressed means in unlocked position to allow rotation of the sleeve to bring about adjustment of the headed means.

3. In a locking turnbuckle, a sleeve interiorly threaded from its ends for a portion of its length,

stems threaded in the sleeve for the latter to provide a coupling therefor, heads formed on the inner ends of. the stems, a pair of locking members slidably mounted in the body and having sockets therein for receiving the heads, said heads and sockets being shaped to lock said members to the heads against relative rotation, abutment members fixed within and disposed substantially centrally of the sleeve, coil springs between the locking members and the abutment members to urge and hold the locking member to locked position, said sleeve having slots therein I-IILBERT K. KATH. 

